Antoine Griezmann says a Frenchman must win 2018 Ballon d'Or

French forward Antoine Griezmann feels that one of his countrymen deserves to win this year's Ballon d'Or. The striker, Paul Pogba, N'Golo Kante, Kylian Mbappe, Hugo Lloris, and Raphael Varane are the six Frenchmen nominated for the most prestigious individual award in football.

"We are world champions, we're part of the best team in the world In this best team in the world, there must be the best player in the world, right? In any case, that's what I think.

"Afterwards, there are votes, opinions, different judgements. But I think that a Frenchman must win the Ballon d'Or this year," said the Atletico Madrid forward while speaking to France Football, the magazine that presents the Ballon d'Or.

Luka Modric is the favourite to win the award following his heroics at the World Cup. The Real Madrid midfielder won the Best FIFA Football Awards earlier this year, beating Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to the title.

For the French, Griezmann himself is the leading candidate to win the award, having scored four goals at the World Cup, while also helping club Atletico Madrid to a Europa League trophy.

This year could be the year that the monopoly held over the Ballon d'Or award by Messi and Ronaldo will end, with the duo having won the last 10 Ballon d'Or's.

The last Frenchman to win the award was former Real Madrid and Juventus player Zinedine Zidane, who won it in 1998 - the same year France won their first World Cup.

This year's Ballon d'Or award ceremony will be held in the first week of December.